The elephant in the classroom. (Photo credit/Baltimore County Public Schools)

Verletta White pulled a Donald Trump. Whereas Trump held federal workers hostage in exchange for a wall that won’t solve illegal immigration, human and drug trafficking, White is holding teachers hostage in exchange for a budget that continues to funnel hundreds of millions dollars into STAT, proven over the course of the last 6 years to be a failure – confirmed by scientists 13 miles south at Johns Hopkins.

After County Executive Olszewski made clear to the citizenry of Baltimore County that the county was in dire financial states and asked all department heads to go back to the drawing board to find cost savings, Ms. White drafted a second budget, but not a sincere one. BCPS did not go through and make cuts based on program efficacy. Knowing the internal and external outrage that would erupt if teacher salaries were compromised, Ms. White deftly moved her pawns, the teachers into the center of the board forcing the Board of Education into a sticky situation.

They can fund the first budget that keeps teacher pay raises, but also continues funding for failed programs like STAT, or they can fund the slimmed-down budget which sacrifices our teachers to help balance the overall county budget. But there is another way. Cut STAT out of the budget, restore teacher raises, and give control of the classroom back to the teachers. Unless the ultimate goal is to replace all teachers with computers – in that case, carry on.